1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of tool holders or caddies, and more particularly to such a tool holder for retaining a set of tools.
2. Description of the Relevant Prior Art
Various tool boxes, tool holders and tool caddies have, of course, long been known in the prior art. Prior art examples of such devices include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos.: 2,526,732; 2,810,472; 3,583,556; 3,702,136; and Des. 148,422. Other examples are disclosed in UK Patent No. 2,174,366 and Swiss Patent No. 416,501.
Such prior art tool holders, boxes and caddies, while highly useful in some circumstances, do not provide a convenient, easily accessible device for holding a plurality of tools, or a tool set, used in special situations where a worker repeatedly and quickly exchanges one member of the set for another in the course of doing a job. For example, a worker who performs a repetitive set of tool using operations may need to use a sequence of various tools, such as Allen wrenches, various-headed screwdrivers socket wrenches, etc. in rapid order.
Modern high precision, mass production operations often necessitate such rapid tool changes. For example, in computer numerical control (CNC) systems, a group of special-purpose machining tools, which perform operations such as milling, drilling, boring, tapping, etc., are linked by a material handling system and are controlled by a programmable controller or computer. Such systems are capable of up-and-down, in-and-out, and back-and-forth motion through all three major axes, as well as movement through additional, secondary axes, such as rotational movement. A spindle is capable of accepting a plurality of tool heads so that various machining operations can be performed on a succession of parts.
Typically, a succession of different machining operations are performed on each part. For example, a single part may need to be milled, then have one or more holes drilled in it, etc. The machining center is programmed to have the same succession of machining operations repetitively performed on each successive part. Since this process is completely automated, such a system provides for a greater repeatability than manual machining operations, and closer tolerances can be observed.
Such CNC systems are generally provided with an automatic tool changer. It stores idle tools and interchanges them with those in the spindle according to the program stored in the computer. In particular, the tools are stored on a continuous chain or belt on a particular sequence and are fed automatically into the spindle.
Of course, the tools stored in the automatic tool changer are subject to fairly rapid wear due to the efficient operation of the system. After a certain amount of normal wear, the tools are unable to perform their machining functions. Hence, they must be removed for sharpening, and replaced with sharpened counterparts.
These systems move at rapid speeds. Hence, a worker who is tending the automatic tool changer of such a system must be able to rapidly remove and replace the tools on the belt or chain. In order to remove the worn tools and insert freshly sharpened ones, such a worker must employ a plurality of hand tools, such as Allen wrenches, chucks, various-headed screwdrivers, etc. Due to the speed of the production line, the tool changes must be made rapidly and the hand tools are employed in rapid sequence. Furthermore, the various tools which are retained in the automatic tool changer are of different types and require different hand tools to remove and replace them. Hence, it is critical that such a worker have a complete set of tools capable of removing and replacing all the tools contained in the automatic tool changer, and that he/she be able to access these tools easily and rapidly.
The present invention is designed to permit rapid access to a set of hand tools in situations such as those described above, and in any other where rapid and easy access to a set of hand tools is essential.